Not too long ago I traveled to Washington DC to visit my youngest son. Jay and I went to see everything we could. He really wanted to go to the Art Museum and the Sculpture Garden. I had no idea that he even cared about seeing This kind of an exhibit. He surprised me, although I raised my kids to appreciate the art of making things with their hands.
Well, I was a little surprised at the things I saw in the Sculpture Garden. I have been to the Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis and was blown away at the quality of art displayed there. I truly thought that the Garden in Washington DC had to be far better than the one in Minneapolis. Well, the very first piece had me taken aback.
I hope nobody here made this because I don't want to insult anyone, but anyone could have created this thing. What is it? I guess it is up to the viewer to decide that. It looked like a giant slate. Am I out of it? Is this really that great?
There was a tree that was made out of silver and had no leaves on it. It gleamed in the sun. It was stunning.
There were several other weird pieces, but the worst one was the plain slate.
Do I need an art appreciation class?
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The blank slate has made for a good discussion point though.
Will, I am sure that I didn't spend enough time with that blank slate. The draw to wasn't there for me. I really like sculpture and Nancy I have wanted to check out that Meijer Sculpture Garden in Grand Rapids. I have driven past it many times but I am always unable to stop.
To me though, Will, if a sculpture garden was made up of sculpture that was all similar to that blank slate I would never want to go to it. I am glad that most of the art I do see speaks to me. I can hear it talking. But the blank Slate and the Black Plank, oh boy! That stuff wouldn't sell to regular people because I think it requires you to try to make more of it than is there to begin with. It is sort of it like having an odd sweater and you have to convince yourself there is more to it in order to want to wear it.
The topic was about Ellsworth Kelly who I don't believe ever tried to sell at street shows. Do you think their might be levels of art that rise above the typical street fair work, or is "art in the park" your only reference point? My point is that would be pretty dull.
I've made my living selling my work to regular and some irregular people for 20 years. It's getting harder in this economy and with the dumbing down trend at shows, but I'm hanging in there.
There was a 60 Minutes episode on a few months ago about Modern "Art" with the same question. Clear toilet seats selling for $30,000 and so forth.
In Madison WI we have the Museum of Modern Art and frankly it think a lot of it is garbage. My opinion. Having a large yellow room with a red streak painted with a roller that runs out of red paint . . . is that art??
I agree with Susan, just be glad some artist is doing that kind of art instead if an exact copy of what you are doing :-)
Kathy, ha ha, I thought the same thing about the chalk.
It would also be boring and sad if the main criteria for artistic expression were whether "such things would sell to regular people."
No personal offense Jacki, but if you didn't get it maybe that's a reflection of your ability to get it, or maybe if you'd spent more time with it... A lot of abstract art takes some time, quiet, meditative time. It's not as easy for our literal, right brained to get abstractions as it is to get say, a painting of red poppies in a green field.
To say that "anyone can do it" is not the point. A lot of modern art is conceptual and not necessarily about technical facility.
One of my favorite abstract artists is Mark Rothko. On first look, they may appear to be merely nice color fields. But sit quietly in front of them for a few minutes and they can become a powerful experience.
My point is that art is a two way experience. Abstract art can demand more of the viewer that literal art.
Makes me want to get a piece of chalk
Ellsworth Kelly. That explains it. I was once subjected to an entire Guggenheim exhibition of his paintings and thought I would die of boredom looking at painting after painting of minimalist fields of color. blah
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